A Rose in the Moonlight
by Nocturngirl
Summary: The story of how Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion actually met and fell in love and the destruction of the Earth and the Moon Kingdom.
1. A Birthday Wish

A/N I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters...Unfortunately.

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In the time of the Silver Millenium the entire galaxy lived in peace. Ruled by the beloved Queen Serenity, the Moon kingdom was the most beautiful, prosperous and peaceful of all the planets. Her daughter Princess Serenity was training to follow in the Queen's footsteps and be a revered and fair ruler. And, Princess Serentity wanted nothing more to be a good Queen like her mother, but that was not to be her destiny for a very, very long time.

"Serenity?"

"Oh, mother." The princess said taken by surprise.

"Staring at the Earth again." The Queen said knowingly, as she stepped out onto the balcony.

"It is so beautiful mother. I just cannot believe that any place that beautiful cannot have beautiful people too. They must be."

"It is a beautiful planet." The Queen said admiring as well.

"Oh, I wish I could go there."

"I know you do my love. Perhaps one day the Earth and the Moon will have good relations as we did in the past." Queen Serenity sighed before kissing her daughter on the cheek. "Now, you should go to bed. You have a big day tomorrow."

"I know. Goodnight mother." Princess Serenity took one last look at the Earth before retiring. Perhaps one day she would get to see the Earth after all.

The next day, Princess Serenity sat in Serenity Royal Garden with her court, the Princesses from Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus. They gathered in the same place every year for each of their birthdays to exchange presents.

"Happy Birthday Princess Serenity." The Princess of Mercury said smiling. She handed over an elegantly carved wooden box.

"Oh, thank you Epona." Princess Serenity said eagerly. To her dismay it contained a book written in the ancient language. It was her least favorite subject of study.

"I know as Queen you will have to be able to read the Lunar scripts from the ancient books so I thought this would help you practice."

"Great." Princess Serenity said placing the book beside her. "I'll start tomorrow."

"Oh, open mine." The Princess of Venus said excitedly. "I had to have it sent from home and it was not easy to find."

Princess Serenity took the small box from her hand and opened it to reveal a beautiful amber colored pendant dangling on a delicate chain. "Oh, Cytherea it is exquisite." She sighed.

"It is a very rare stone that is supposed to help you find your true love. If you wear it at the ball tonight I am certain you will have no trouble finding your Prince."

Princess Serenity leaned over and embraced Princess Venus. "Oh, you have one too." She noticed.

"Well, since I already sent them in search of yours I thought it wouldn't hurt for me to find my true love too." Princess Cytherea said with a wink. They both burst into a fit of laughter.

"Are you ready?" The Princess of Mars asked.

Princess Serenity just nodded and placed her hands in hers.

"Princess Serenity," Princess Mars began in a threatening voice as she leaned closer. "If you want to become Queen you have to stop being so impulsive, but since that will probably never happen you should-"

"Hesperia!" Princess Serenity yelled, pulling her hands away from Princess Mars. "What kind of fortune is that???"

"How do you expect to be great like Queen Serenity if you are not serious?"

"What does that mean?" Princess Serenity yelled back. "When I'm Queen I will be serious."

"Well, you won't know how if you don't start now." Princess Mars said pointing her finger.

The two Princesses just stared each other down for a few moments before finishing their daily spat by turning away from each other in a huff.

"Happy Birthday." Said, Princess Jupiter, trying to distract the Moon Princess. It would only take a few minutes and she and Mars would be talking again as though nothing had happened. Princess Jupiter presented the cake, the latest creation made by the cook as per her instructions.

"Ohh, Europa. It looks almost too good to eat." Princess Serenity said smiling. "But, I will."

They quickly devoured the cake leaving nothing but a few remnants behind.

"Now Princess Serenity, have you thought about what would you like to do?" Princess Venus asked.

"Yes." Princess Serenity said looking down nervously, not certain even she would have the nerve to do it.

Every year on the Princess' birthday she was allowed to do have a wish. She was allowed to do or get one thing that she wanted no matter what it was.

"Well?" Princess Mars asked impatiently. She knew if it was taking Princess Serenity this long to say it, it was probably something they shouldn't be doing.

Serenity stood up and walked a few feet away from them, staring up at the sky. She turned to them with a smile beaming on her face. "I want to go to Earth."

There was a collective gasp among the other Princesses but Princess Serenity had expected that.

"Princess Serenity, we cannot." Princess Mercury said.

"We are not allowed to go to Earth." Princess Jupiter reminded.

"Yes, we are." Princess Serenity continued. "If that is what I want as my birthday wish, then we are allowed to go."

"I knew this was going to get us in trouble." Mars said dropping her head in her hand.

"What did Queen Serenity say?" Venus asked.

"She said…that I could do whatever I wish today." Serenity answered diplomatically. Technically it wasn't a falsehood because it was her birthday wish. Even if Queen Serenity hadn't actually approved a trip to Earth, it should fall under that category. Serenity dropped to her knees before her friends to convince them. "Oh, please. Don't you want to see what truly it looks like? I mean not just in paintings and looking into the sky. We would not have to stay long. We shall not even be missed. Everyone is so busy preparing for the party tonight. All we have to do is a sailor teleport and see what it looks like in person. It will just be for an hour or so and no one will know. Oh, please this is the only thing that I want."

"We will get into so much trouble if we are caught." Jupiter said.

"I'll explain it to mother and take the blame myself. She wouldn't punish me on my birthday."

"What about the Earth humans?" Mercury asked. "If we are caught there we could be captured."

"They wouldn't actually capture us. And we wouldn't be doing anything wrong. We are not invading. We would just be exploring. And we could just as easily teleport back. Come on. Please." Princess Serenity begged.

"Well, I'm in. I've always wondered what Earth males look like. I wonder if they are handsome?" Venus mused.

"Yes! I know I could count on you Cytherea. Europa?"

"Well, I suppose I am a little curious about the Earth males too. Perhaps they are taller." Jupiter said.

"Yes! Yes!" Princess Serenity said clapping as she bounced excitedly. "Epona?"

"Hmm, I don't know." Mercury looked around with a worried expression on her face.

"Just think about all the research you have done and lessons we have had about Earth, don't you actually want to see it?" Princess Serenity continued.

"After all you can't really know a place until you actually go there." Venus added. The idea of Earth males was interesting her more and more.

"I suppose you do have a point." Mercury conceded.

"You too Epona?" Mars said surprised.

"It could be considered a kind of research trip." Mercury said blushing.

"I have a really bad feeling about this." Mars said ominously.

"You have a bad feeling about everything." Princess Serenity joked waving it off.

"Come on Hesperia." Venus said.

"Come on Hesperia." Added Jupiter.

"Come on Hesperia." Princess Serenity said, clasping her hands over her chest. Looking up at her friend with affected innocence and an exaggerated pout she begged. "Please. For my birthday."

"This is not going to end well." Mars said dropping her head in defeat.

Everyone else cheered and the group was excited for their little adventure. Princess Serenity could not believe that she was actually going to see the real Earth. The girls all stood and clasped hands. Princess Serenity not wanting to lose Venus' necklace quickly secured it around her neck.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Mercury asked nervously.

"Now, Epona, this won't work if you have doubts." Princess Serenity warned. "Do you remember what happened when we tried to go to Saturn?"

"Oh, right. I'm sorry. I'm ready." Mercury said clasping hands again. "Mercury Planet Power."

"Mars Planet Power." Princess Hesperia called.

"Jupiter Planet Power." Princess Europa called.

"Venus Planet Power." Princess Cytherea called.

"Cosmic Moon Power." Princess Serenity called.

Teleporting always came with a peculiar feeling. It came from inside, deep within your stomach. It started with a little tickle that soon grew as it moved away from your center. Soon your entire body was tingling and suddenly nothingness. Well that wasn't an accurate description. Perhaps it was weightlessness. You didn't lose consciousness but there was a feeling of being suspended and beyond everything in space and time. And suddenly once again you were back in reality.

Princess Serenity did not open her eyes at first. She wanted to hold on for a few moments and just get accustomed to the new scents and sounds around her. Was this real? Was she really on Earth? The real Earth? She knew she had to open her eyes to make certain but she was so afraid that perhaps the teleport didn't work and she would just find herself in the just Serenity Gardens still. But, the scent in the air was nothing like the scent of the Moon flowers, and Lunar blossoms that was surrounding them just a few minutes ago. Finally Princess Serenity opened her eyes.

And screamed.

The other Princesses opened their eyes as well with almost all of having the same reaction. A strange beast stood before them, its black eyes watching them suspiciously. It was brown and slender and it looked like it was built to run. If it chased after them they could never outrun it. It slowly began moving forward.

"It's going to attack us." Princess Venus said as they clumped together.

"Not if I can help it. Jupiter Power-"

"Europa don't!" Princess Mercury interrupted. "It's not going to hurt us."

"What?"

"Then why is it coming closer?" Venus asked.

"It is a deer. It is not dangerous. They are herbivores." Mercury explained. "Didn't any of you pay attention in Earthology?"

"Well, I suppose I didn't really pay _that_ much attention." Jupiter admitted reluctantly.

"Considering we were never going to see it." Venus added.

"You guys are hopeless." Mars sighed.

"It's so cute." Princess Serenity said taking a tentative step forward. "You are not going to hurt us are you? I knew you wouldn't."

"Then why did you scream Princess Serenity?" Mars asked wryly.

"It doesn't signify anything. I was just surprised."

"Right. Right. Of course."

The deer apparently losing interest in the Princesses immediately departed.

"Oh, Saturn's moons." Princess Serenity sighed looking around. "It's more beautiful than I envisaged."

There was collective agreement among the other Princesses and at this moment none of them regretted their decision to use Princess Serenity's birthday wish to break the Moon Kingdom's Earth contact rule. It was so beautiful and so colorful. It was filled with sights and sounds they had never experienced before. They each began to step out to explore. They were in some kind of garden with the forest on three sides creating a deep crescent. Up ahead, away from the forest the could see more flowers and trees and the turrets of a large structure in the distance.

"Now, we shouldn't stray too far away from each other. It would be safer for us to stay together or at least in groups." Mercury advised.

Princess Serenity wasn't really listening. She was finally on Earth. _Her_ Earth. She looked at the thick forest with its towering trees. Before the forest was dusted with lavender flowers making a lovely contrast against the deep green grass. To the right, the gardens became more formal. There was more symmetry and separation from one type of flora to the next.

"Oh, what is that scent?" Princess Serenity asked softly, walking farther away.

They were surrounded by so many different flowers it was hard to distinguish one from the next. Many of these blooms she had never seen before, as they were indigenous to Earth. There were yellow flowers in the shape of bells. And orange ones that looked like the pattern of a star. There were ones with large white dew covered petals. But none of them corresponded to the scent she was trying to find. Finally turning the corner she found herself alone and surrounded by the flower omitting the scent she had been following. It was so beautiful and this part of the garden was filled with them. There were white, pink, yellow ones but her favorite was the red ones. They looked so passionate, if a flower was allowed to look that way. The red petals snugly enveloped each other making it appear as if the flower was holding itself in a warm embrace. It was the most perfect blossom she had ever seen. She leaned down to inspect it closer and inhale the scent, too engrossed in her new discovery to hear the sound of hooves approaching her.

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Prince Endymion was riding through the Endymion Forest with his four generals. They were returning to the Palace after investigating strange occurrences on the outer rim of the Golden Kingdom. These occurrences were becoming more frequent. The animals were beginning to act very strangely. They were attacking humans even though there was enough food in the forest. They did not even appear to be hunting; they were simply attacking people at random. Two towns were attacked so far and though some said they could feel an ominous presence deep in the woods it was more logical that the animals had simply gone mad. The citizens were given permission by the Prince to hunt and destroy the animals that had attacked and report any changes.

"Excellent jump your highness." Zoisite gushed as the Prince easily cleared the River of Gaia.

"Do you plan on moving up in the ranks by using flattery? I do not think even your pretty boyish face is enough to tempt the Prince. Though it may tempt others." Nephrite laughed out loud, as he not so surreptitiously glanced at Kunzite.

"You overstep your bounds, Lord Nephrite." Kunzite warned.

"We shall see." Nephrite said snidely. "Jadeite let us ride." With that instead of waiting for his superior Kunzite to go before him, Nephrite rode ahead and took the jump with as much confidence as Prince Endymion had. Lord Nephrite was the Prince's closest friend and even though he was second to Kunzite, the highest-ranking officer, punishments for insubordination hardly ever came his way. He would never directly disobey one of Prince Endymion's orders but to have a low born person like Kunzite giving him orders was more than he could take not matter what the pale haired General did in the previous war to earn him to title of Chief.

"Do not let him affect you. You shall get your turn." Kunzite said to the still fuming Zoisite.

"Oh, I shall make certain of it." Zoisite replied.

"I shall cut through the roses and I am certain to make it back before any of you." Prince Enymion called behind them. He knew there was a slight rivalry between his generals but he usually laughed it off. It was something he had grown accustomed to. The Prince settled into his seat forcing his horse into more speed. He wanted a few moments without the useless banter. Even Nephrite would not come charging through the gardens for fear of destroying any of the Queens precious flowers. As he prepared to jump the rose bushes an apparition in white stood up before him taking him by surprise. The Prince knew if he made the jump he would trample her, trespasser though she was. He reared his horse hard and Apollo disliking the sudden change of course, and perhaps the scream that came from the white clad interloper, bucked and for the first time since he was a child Prince Endymion was thrown from a horse.

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Princess Serenity stood up just in time to see the black horse galloping toward her at a dangerous speed. Oh, no, she thought frozen in fear. She was going to die. She was going to die on Earth. And Queen Serenity would not be able to save her because her mother had no idea where she was. Whose foolish idea was it to take this forbidden trip again? Oh, yes. It was hers. Oh, she could just hear Princess Mars telling her I told you so. Of course she would be dead so she supposed she would not have to hear it after all. Well, at least she got to see Earth, Princess Serenity thought. It was her birthday wish though admittedly she did not want it to be her last wish. She did not know that she was screaming until she heard the sound of her voice echoing in her ears. The errant rider reared his horse hard and the horse bucked throwing the finely dressed rider to the ground.

Realizing she was alive Princess Serenity quickly ran to the fallen rider to make certain he was as fortunate. He lay on his side, turned away from her. Princess Serenity immediately dropped to her knees and turned his body towards her, placing his head on her lap.

"Oh." Princess Serenity sighed for the first time seeing his face.

Her heartbeat sped up. He was so… beautiful. She had never seen anyone with features she liked more. The soft rise and fall of his chest assured her that he was alive and the elation she felt with that knowledge went far beyond what she should feel for a stranger. She just kept staring at his face. Was this was the only time she would ever see his face? After all, she was not allowed to be here. She could not come back. He certainly could not come to the Moon. So this would probably be their only interaction. And, he was unconscious. But, even asleep he looked beautiful.

Princess Serenity wanted to seal his features in her memory. He was the most perfect creature she had ever seen. Even if they never talked, even if he never looked at her, every moment spent in his presence made her heart do flips. She gently brushed his hair away from his brow, and with a soft groan he began to move. And just when Princess Serenity thought her heart was beating so fast that it would propel itself from her chest _he_ opened his eyes.

And his eyes locked with hers.

And she was certain her heart had stopped.

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So what do you think. Working on the second chapter. Please Review and let me know.


	2. From the Earth to the Moon

I do not own Sailor Moon.

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Prince Endymion opened his eyes, only to be met with a large pair of blue set in a beautiful face. The face looked down at him with such concern that he was startled. When his eyes locked with hers, she gasped and her expression changed to wonder. He was certain he held the very same expression on his face. At first the Prince thought he had died. All he could see was the Heavens above him and the face of what had to be an Angel. Her golden hair set in two orbs at either side of her crown trailed down to her waist and she had an impression shaped like a crescent at the center of her forehead. He was certain he was dead. Her angelic face and her unique hairstyle convinced him that she was no Earthling. The Angel smiled, and it was only the feeling of his heartbeat increasing in speed that convinced him that he was in fact alive. So then this girl must be real, he realized. He immediately felt mortified. He, Prince Endymion, heir to the Golden Kingdom and future ruler of Earth, had not been thrown from a horse since he had a nurse and he chose today of all days to lose his seat. He quickly moved to sit up.

"Do not move." The Angel said in a soft melodic voice. "You might be injured."

"I am fine." He answered with as much confidence he could muster. He was feeling a bit lightheaded but he refused to stay on his back like an infant. He was a man. Not only that, he was a Prince. He rose and extended his hand to allow the angel-girl to rise as well.

"Thank you." She said blushing. They stood in silence for a few moments simply staring into each other's eyes. The girl blushed again and demurely looked away. "I am terribly sorry if I was the cause of your misfortune. These unique flowers enchanted me. What are they?" She asked.

"What?" The question distracted the Prince and he looked down to see her subject of interest. In fact she seemed more interested in the common flower than she was in him, though her eyes did flit back to him occasionally. "Do you mean the rose?"

"Rose? Is that what they are. Oh, they are beautiful. I think that is the most perfect flower I have ever beheld."

"You have never seen a rose before?" He asked bemused.

"No, we do not have roses on the-" she stopped abruptly. "Where I come from."

"And where is that?" He inquired.

The strange girl looked up to the sky and answered simply. "Very far away."

Prince Endymion just stared at her in wonder. She was mocking him. She was being coy. He had no time for that. "Why were you hiding in the garden? You could have been killed." He said more coldly than he intended. He was still quite embarrassed from his fall and thought that this strange girl was taking some amusement at his expense.

"I was not hiding in the garden." She answered, obviously insulted by his tone. "You should not have been riding at such a dangerous pace. _You_ were the one who was nearly killed."

Prince Endymion looked at her in surprise. Who was this girl that she was talking to him so boldly? He was accustomed to ladies acquiescing in his presence. This one behaved as though she were not talking her Prince. Still, he had almost trampled her. He did not need his mother hearing about this. He sighed.

"I apologize for startling you. I did not realize the Queen had guests." He said regaining his civility.

"The Queen?"

"You are not a guest of the Queen's?"

"No."

"Then what are you doing in the Royal Gardens?"

"Oh, is that where we are." The puzzling beauty answered looking around amazed.

"Of course that is where you are. How could you not know where you are?" He asked becoming more frustrated. "Who are you lady? What is your name?"

"Who sir are you? And what is your name?" The lifted her chin in a manner that implied she was not accustomed to being asked such questions.

"Who am I?" Prince Endymion said shocked. "How could you not know who I am?"

"Well, you certainly have not introduced yourself as any gentleman would so how am I to know who you are?" She retorted haughtily.

The Prince just looked at her bewildered. Was she serious? What kind of game was she playing? Perhaps, this was all a clever rouse, a way of gaining his attention and setting her apart from other ladies. But the expression on her face had no trace of coyness, or artfulness. She looked complete ignorant of who he was. What's more she looked annoyed by his line of questioning. Her indignant expression brought a pout to her lips and further proof that everything she did usurped his attention. She did not need tricks. And he did not like them. The Prince decided he would play along of only to see where it would take them.

"Prince Endymion, lady." He clapped his heels together and gave her a short bow.

"Prince? Endymion? You are the Prince? The Prince of Earth." She said with genuine surprise.

"Yes, of course."

"And I am in the Royal Garden. Oh, this is bad. I'm terribly sorry." She said looking around nervously.

Before the Prince was given the chance to react and ascertain whom the stranger was, he was interrupted.

"Princess!" Another stranger called stumbling upon them and halting to a stop. She had long, thick, golden hair and wore a white gown with an orange ribbon at her waist.

"Princess?" Prince Endymion repeated. Ah, so she was being coy. She was a guest of his mother's after all. But, her face looked so honest. She looked like she was telling the truth. And, he did not recall his mother mentioning anything about any Princess coming to stay. Then who was she? What was she the Princess of if he had never met her? And, what was she doing in the gardens anyway. He turned to the new addition to their duo.

"And who are you?"

"Prince Endymion!" Kunzite called, interrupting the Prince's inquiry. He approached the Prince holding another female. This one was dressed similar to the latest addition in white only with a red ribbon at her waist. She had jet-black waist length hair and an expression of fury.

"I knew this was a bad idea." She mumbled.

Prince Endymion looked to see his other Generals approaching; all but Zoisite, who has lost hold on the girl in orange, was towing a girl along with them.

"What on Earth is going on? Are we being invaded?" The Prince exclaimed at the five intruders on his land. For all he knew they could be peasants who snuck onto the property. Though the girls were all richly dressed that alone was not a guarantee. But, by the look and countenance he could see they were not commoners. "If you are not guests of the Queen who are you. Where are you from?"

"I…I am terribly sorry that we trespassed. We meant no offence. Please forgive us. We shall be leaving now." She, the original intruder, began to depart.

"Oh, no no no. Not so fast." Prince Endymion said capturing her hand in his. A sudden current seemed to go through him as he touched her hand. The beautiful intruder seemed to feel it too, for she looked up at him in surprise and their eyes locked again. Her hands were soft, and Prince Endymion was certain they had never felt a day's work before. More than that, the Prince could not help but revel in how perfect her small hand felt in his. It was as if it belonged there. What a strange thing to think of someone he didn't even know, he thought. The Prince was not certain what to say next but he willed himself to continue.

"Since I have been polite enough to introduce myself. Why do you not show me the same courtesy? We shall begin with your friends." Not releasing her hand, the Prince said turning to the girl with the orange ribbon. "Since you were the first to join us, why don't you tell me your name?"

"Um, I am Cytherea, Princess of Venus." She answered nervously.

Prince Endymion turned his attention to the raven-haired beauty whose red ribbon about her waist he surmised matched the burning fury evident in her eyes.

"Unhand me, commoner." She growled ripping her arm away from Kunzite. "Hesperia, Princess Mars." She said with her head raised proudly.

Nephrite, laughing at Kunzite released his female hostage who seemed to be putting up quite the struggle. She rid herself of his grasp and, after stopping his laughter with a perfectly aimed accidental jab in the side, stepped forward.

"Europa, Princess of Jupiter." She said. She was the tallest of the ladies by nearly a foot and her striking figure was also clad in white with a green ribbon about her waist.

Jediete seemed to have the easiest catch, insofar as she did not fight his as much as the others. The blue ribbon at her waist fluttered in the slight wind as she stepped forward so she could introduce herself. Her face flushed red from embarrassment but she proudly gave her name.

"Epona, Princess of Mercury."

After the introductions Prince Endymion's gaze fell back on the first lady to capture his attention. "And you are? If I may have the honor?" Prince Endymion asked smirking.

"Serenity." She answered reluctantly.

"Good." Prince Endymion said patronizingly. "And from whence have you come mysterious Serenity?" He asked smiling that he was finally going learn her identity.

Serenity looked up at him, her large blue eyes filled with hesitation. "I am from-"

"Princess Serenity don't!" Princess Venus spoke up. As soon as she spoke she realized her mistake.

"Princess Serenity?" Prince Endymion said confused. "There is no Princess Serenity. The only Princess Serenity I know of is…" He stopped and turned to look at the other girls. "Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Mars." He softly said to himself as if taking roll before he turned back to Serenity. Prince Endymion's eyes fell on the crescent in the center of her forehead and he gasped. "Princess Serenity? As in Moon Princess Serenity?" He said amazed. He certainly did not expect this.

"Please do not arrest us." Princess Serenity said stepping forward before he could say another word. "Or of you must arrest someone please take me and release my friends. The blame all lies with me. I convinced them, against their better judgment to come here. We truly meant you no harm or offence. It was only that I desperately wanted to see Earth and since it is my birthday we decided to come. We were only going to be here for about an hour or so to look around. And we had no idea that we would end up in the Royal Garden. Please-"

Prince Endymion raised his hand, to stop Princess Serenity's speech as she reached out and captured her hand in hers. Once again that sudden current seemed to go through them leaving them both speechless. The Prince was still stunned at the revelation and saw the same amazement repeated in his generals' faces. The princesses looked on with consternation. Prince Endymion knew he had a decision to make. The Crystal Kingdom of the Moon and the Golden Kingdom of the Earth were not the allies they once were. His only options were either to arrest them as trespassers, as the Princess feared, or release them immediately and let them return home before anyone else became aware of their presence on Earth. And yet, looking into Princess Serenity's crystal blue eyes the Prince found himself in an uncharacteristic moment of indecision. He could not arrest them for that would make neither of them happy and perhaps bring about a war. But the idea of her departing immediately and leaving him after he had only just met her left him with a sense of emptiness.

"Princess Serenity," Prince Endymion found himself saying. He made a low bow in honor of her position as a princess and kissed her hand. "Welcome to Earth." He raised his eyes to look at her to see what her response would be. The Princess looked on in obvious surprise but it almost immediately turned to relief and then to delight.

"Thank you." Princess Serenity answered. Her lips parted in a smile that managed to do what a few moments ago the Prince thought was impossible and make her already beautiful face look even more stunning and Prince Endymion knew he had made the right decision.

All of his generals did not share in his sentiment.

"They are from the Moon kingdom your highness, trespassers on Earth. They should be arrested or sent away. They should not be allowed to remain here." Zoisite said letting his emotions betray him. He could already see that the Prince was immediately enamored with the Moon Princess and did not trust that the Prince was acting in the planet's best interest.

"Zoisite there is no need for such extremes." The Prince began turning to him. His hand kept possession of Princess Serenity's delicate fingers as he spoke. "Princess Serenity and her court are our guests, no matter how unexpected. I am certain they bring us no ill will."

Kunzite stepped forward to speak with a calmer head than his junior Zoisite. "But, your highness I beg you. If the Princess and her ladies are alone as she says" He made a quick boy in the direction of the Princess, "then it only a matter of time until the Crystal Kingdom's Imperial Guard are sent to retrieve them. The longer they stay here the more reason they have to think that they are in distress. We could be courting interplanetary war."

"But, no one is aware that we are here. We did not inform anyone that we were coming to Earth." Princess Serenity interrupted. And then obviously understanding Kunzite's veiled inferences regally lifted her chin and turned to him. "My mother, Queen Serenity, never assumes the worst of someone. She would certainly never be so cavalier with peoples lives and send soldiers to battle without cause."

"I meant no offense Princess." Kunzite said bowing to her humbly. His open contempt for the Moon Kingdom had to be superseded by the inferiority of his position.

"I am sure." Princess Mars said eyeing the general coldly. "Princess Serenity, perhaps we should depart before we are missed."

Princess Serenity looked hesitant, her eyes locked with Princess Mars in silent battle. Finally Prince Endymion saw her drop her shoulders as if resigned. "Perhaps my ladies are correct. Thank you Prince Endymion." She said turning away and slipping her hand from his.

"Please don't go." Prince Endymion exclaimed to the surprise of all. His grip firmed on hers. He could not allow her to leave. Silently cursing Kunzite for his unsolicited words the Prince was desperate to find a way to spend if only a few moments more in Princess Serenity's company. He called upon his charm and diplomatic nature. "Princess Serenity, Princesses of Mars, Venus, Mercury and Jupiter," Prince Endymion began nodding to each of them in turn. "My generals and I have been riding all day having only now returned from a tiring mission. I am afraid we have let our fatigue to get the better of our manners. Please accept my humblest apologies and allow us to make amends for our most injurious greeting. I would be grieved to have you leave the Golden Kingdom with your current impression. I beseech you to allow us the opportunity to formally introduce ourselves and properly welcome you to Earth. I am Prince Endymion, son of Queen Giai and ruler of the Golden Kingdom." He bowed before them and turned to his Chief General.

The chief general's face showed his chagrin but he followed his Prince's lead and bowed to the ladies. "I am general Kunzite at your service."

Nephrite nodded his head in deference to Princess Serenity and then, to everyone's surprise and amusement turned to the tall, stunning beauty beside him and took her hand in his. "My lady, allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Nephrite, son of Actinolite, Highest Lord of the Northern Provinces of Earth at your service Princess." He said with confidence bred from the unique mixture of dashing good looks, roguish charm, and superior social standing that lay waste to innumerable women. He bowed and kissed Princess Jupiter hand making it obvious that the introduction was specifically for her. Princess Jupiter removed her hand immediately and look away from him with disdain. Lord Nephrite smirked with satisfaction. Since his eyes had never left her face, he had witnessed her cheeks color before him.

The remaining Generals: Zoisite and Jadeite introduced themselves to the trespassing Princesses.

"Ladies, please allow us to escort you throughout the grounds at your leisure." Prince Endymion announced with a quick look to his generals so they knew their place and their purpose. He turned back to Princess Serenity. "My Princess, if you will allow me." He gestured with his hand to show her into the garden. They walked into the garden in silence. The princess seemed wither uninterested or unable to make eye contact with him. Though he was quite content simply walking beside her, Prince Endymion wanted to say something to inspire a conversation. He wanted to know everything about her and he knew his time was limited. He did not want to waste it. And he did not want her to return to the Moon and just as soon forget him. He wanted to make an impression on her. He wanted to say something insightful and profound.

"So…Princess Serenity…are you… enjoying your visit to Earth?" He asked and was immediately disappointed with himself. Brilliant opening Endymion, he berated himself. Very Eloquent. Oh, he was pathetic. Was that truly the best he could do? His shoulders dropped and he looked up to the sky as he cursed himself. He looked down as he heard the Princess' musical laugh. Her sparkling blue eyes looked up at him as if forgiving his anxiety and perhaps even understanding it and they found themselves once again staring into each other's eyes. Prince Endymion smiled and the Princess cheeks flushed red as she nervously looked away. "Princess Serenity please allow me to apologize again for earlier. I should not have been riding so recklessly in-"

"Oh, please do not trouble yourself." Princess Serenity interrupted.

Prince Endymion stopped speaking not so much due to her words but the pleading look in her eyes and the feeling of her hand on his arm. "I-"

Princess Serenity gingerly removed her hand, as her cheeks colored again. "I hope you can forgive me for arriving her uninvited. Please believe me when I say there was no offence meant."

"There is nothing to forgive for there was no offence taken." The prince said quickly, turning to face her. "If you had not come uninvited we would not have met. That would be unforgivable."

"Yes, it would." She softly agreed.

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Princess Serenity opened her eyes to find that they were once again in Serenity Royal Gardens.

"Ha, we made it back." She exclaimed giddily. "You see Hesperia nothing happened."

"I suppose." Princess Mars admitted reluctantly, as they began walking back to the palace.

"Well, I wouldn't say nothing happened." Princes Venus said.

"What do you mean?" Princess Mercury asked.

"Well, the gorgeous Prince Endymion seemed quite enamored with you Princess." She answered in a teasing tone as she sidled up to Princess Serenity.

"Cyrethea!" Princess Serenity screamed amid the laughter of the group.

"I think you are blushing Princess Serenity." Princess Jupiter teased.

"You are one to talk after Lord Nephrite's grand introduction." Princess Serenity retorted. "He looked as though he were about to propose."

"Somehow he doesn't strike me as that kind." Princess Jupiter answered. "Besides, I have no interest in-"

"Princess Serenity!"

"Luna, what are you doing out here." Princess Serenity asked as she and the girls stopped to greet the black cat running toward them.

"What am I doing out here? What were _you_ doing on Earth?"

Princess Serenity blanched. "We were…you knew where we were?"

"Well of course we did. You five had the entire palace in an uproar looking for you. And then to locate you on Earth of all places. Of all the irresponsible, unthinking actions."

"Oh, well sorry Luna." Princess Serenity mumbled knowing there was nothing more she could say knowing that they had been discovered.

"Yes, well you can tell that to the Queen. She is waiting for you in the reception room. All of you." The black cat said admonishingly as she began to lead them away. She quickly turned back to the five princesses stopped stunned. "Move!"

"I knew this was a bad idea." Princess Mars grumbled.

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Lord Nephrite's footsteps could be heard echoing through the palace halls as he walked toward the Prince's quarters.

"Lord Nephrite, may I assist you." Kunzite asked as he exited the same corridor.

"No, you may not." Lord Nephrite answered coldly.

"I believe the Prince wants solitude." Kunzite continued stopping as he reached him. "He has dismissed his generals for the day."

"Well, then you are dismissed." Lord Nephrite said doing the same. "Carry on." He nodded his head to him and continued to the prince's private quarters. "Prince Endymion." He called after knocking on the door. He received no response. He knocked again only to receive silence. He placed his hand on the sensor pad and the door opened to admit him. Lord Nephrite was raised in the palace and long ago he and the Prince had changed their security settings to admit the other into their chambers.

The Prince's quarters looked abandoned. Nephrite, knowing his old friend well enough walked past the Prince's sleeping quarters and out onto the balcony. He found the Prince lying on the stone rail of his large balcony staring at the moon as it rose in the darkening sky.

"Oh Chronos Endymion, are you still pining after your moon princess."

"I'm not pining." Prince Endymion replied curtly.

"All right. You are not pining." Lord Nephrite conceded. He moved to sit on the balcony as well leaning his back against the wall. "But, you are still thinking about her."

The prince sighed. "Nephrite you don't understand. She is the most perfect creature I have ever laid eyes on."

Lord Nephrite shrugged. "Well, she was certainly fair. But she's not what I would tempt me. She looked so fragile. She looks like she could break at the slightest touch. I would be forced to hold back all of my base impulses. Princess Jupiter on the other hand, now she was intriguing. Stunning beauty, that imposing height was almost daunting at first but she wore it so well." He said grinning at the prince. "She was strong and feisty too."

"Yes, I saw that strength. I wasn't sure you would recover." Prince Endymion said grinning as well.

Lord Nephrite tenderly rubbed his bruised side. "For a moment there I thought she had broken my ribs. I think I liked that. Imagine tussling with a Senshi. I definitely wouldn't have to hold back with her." He looked up at the moon as well. "But then again moon girl could surprise you. It's the innocent looking ones you have to watch out for. So many hours alone with nothing to think of but men and how to please them."

"Do not speak about her that way." Prince Endymion warned, sitting up.

"My humblest apologies your highness." Lord Nephrite mocked, raising his hands in exaggerated surrender. "She does have you under her spell."

Prince Endymion lay back onto the balcony with a loud sigh. "I would do anything to see her again. I don't know how I shall survive if I never see her again."

"Ugh! You are so melodramatic Endymion." Lord Nephrite complained. "If it were me I would just damn the consequences and find a way." He continued haughtily, tossing his hair over his shoulders. It had always been his habit to act first and think later, especially when it regarded a lady. Suddenly inspiration hit him. "That's it. Come on, let us dress." Lord Nephrite said hopping off the rail of the balcony.

"No, I've already said I'm not going down to dinner."

"I'm not talking about dinner my royal friend."

"Then what are you talking about?" Prince Endymion turned his head to regard his friend.

"The only thing that will get this out of your system is seeing her again."

"Yes, but we've established that it is an impossibility."

"Have we?"

"Oh, Nephrite do stop being cryptic." Prince Endymion said letting his frustration show.

Lord Nephrite finding the Prince's frustration amusing simply laughed. "Very well my dear friend I shall pose it to you this way. Is the Princess not having a birthday tonight? And is this party not going to be attended by hundreds from all over the galaxy? Who is to say or more accurately know if we are in that number."

"Are you suggesting that we attend Princess Serenity's party uninvited?" The prince said looking at his friend in surprise. "Are you mad?"

"No, no more than usual."

"We couldn't. We couldn't possibly. We couldn't just turn up uninvited."

"Why not? I do it all the time." Lord Nephrite said flippantly. "You did say you would do anything to see her again. And I will admit not being averse to seeing the intriguing Princess Jupiter again."

"Yes, the only woman not immediately felled by your innate charm." The prince said sarcastically.

"Well, I suppose every woman must have a flaw." Lord Nephrite joked. Seeing that the prince was still torn with indecision he continued. "If you shan't go for yourself then think of me Endy. My entire reputation may be at stake here. Would you deny me the opportunity to right this wrong?"

"You are incredible."

"So I've been told."

Kunzite knocked on the door of Prince Endymion's quarters to no response. The Prince had not been seen since that afternoon but what roused Kunzite's suspicions was Lord Nephrite's absence as well. Kunzite used his emergency access code to enter Prince Endymion's quarters.

"Your Highness?" He said entering the room. He rounded the corner to the Prince's bedroom and found him dressed in his finest Tuxedo. "Prince Endymion, you are dressed."

"Oh, Kunzite what are you doing here?" The Prince asked surprised.

"I was worried about your absence your highness. Are you going somewhere?" Kunzite asked.

Before the Prince could answer Lord Nephrite stepped into the room. "All right Endy I am ready so on to see your moon princess." He stopped dead in his tracks to see Kunzite staring at them in shock. "Oh, Kunzi what are you doing here?" Lord Nephrite said sourly.

"Surely you are not serious about going to the moon?" Kunzite asked. "And don't call me Kunzi!"

"Kunzite do not worry. Everything will be fine. There will be too many people there for us to be noticed. We are well prepared. We have masks." The Prince assured excitedly.

"Well, I can pretty well guess where this brilliant idea came from." Kunzite drawled.

"I thought it was a brilliant idea myself." Lord Nephrite grinned as he took a seat. "But are you suggesting that the Prince is not working under his own influences?" He challenged.

Kunzite just gave a stone glare to Lord Nephrite. "Your highness, as your Chief General I strongly advise this course of action."

"Kunzite do not worry. Or if you are so worried about my safety you can accompany us." Said the Prince excitedly. "You can keep Nephrite out of trouble."

Lord Nephrite scowled at the Prince. "Thank you Endymion but I do not need a nursemaid. As I remember it I would probably have more fun if I went with one." He smirked.

"But Prince Endymion-" Kunzite tried.

"Oh loosen your hair Kunzite. Are you so against a pretty face that you are determined to ruin the Prince's chances." Lord Nephrite complained. His face then took on a mischievous grin. "Well, a pretty female face. Either way the Prince and I are going. And we don't need you souring our amusement."

Kunzite sighed knowing that there was no choice but to accompany them. The Prince did look determined and it was all Kunzite could do to ensure his protection. "I'll go get dressed."

"That's the spirit Kunzite." Prince Endymion smiled, slapping him on the back.

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A/N: Thanks for reading. Sorry it took so long but I just could not write that last part. At least I pretty much know what's going to happen in the next chapter. Don't worry I promise there will be some interaction with my favorite couples. Please review and let me know what you think. I want to make sure I'm not the only one reading this and it's easier to keep track that way.


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